Third stop: South Station

The last train stop following Back Bay is called South Station. This is the stop where my dad would get off every day to get to work at the World Trade Center, so I tend to associate this train stop with my father. I especially love this area because of what surrounds it: Chinatown, the harbor, the aquarium, and the North End.

Chinatown

I’ve always had fun memories going to Chinatown. It’s not as big as the one in New York, but it’s big enough to find a favourite place to eat. You’ll find everything here from bubble tea galore, to cheap super markets, to pirated movies stores.

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This is the signature Chinatown entrance gate, which can be seen when exiting the West side of South Station.

Dim Sum

My favourite restaurant there is Hei La Moon. It’s a dim sum place, really huge inside and it traditional looking decor but it’s totally casual and you don’t have to dress up or anything. You sit down, and you don’t need a menu because the waiters and waitresses come around with carts of food and you point to what you want and the put it on the table.

Most of the time you have no idea what you’re getting, but it all tastes good. They speak minimal English, so if you ask what’s inside the food, you might get an incomplete answer. Therefore, if you’re allergic to anything or can’t eat a certain food, then you should be careful and really clarify what they’re serving or go with a friend who speaks Chinese to translate for you.

The last time I ate Dim Sum was with my Vietnamese friend and we went all out and ordered everything that rolled past us and looked good. In the end, the bill was only around $35 for the two of us, which is an insanely good price for the amount of food we ate.

Bubble Tea

I am a huge fan of bubble tea! When I was in high school, I was part of the Mandarin club, and every few months or so, the club would take a trip to Chinatown and have lunch and get bubble tea. I still have one of those rewards cards that count how many teas you buy and you get one free after buying a certain amount.

The first time I tried it, I didn’t like the taste of the tapioca boba balls in the tea, but I grew accustomed to them and ended up really liking them for their smooth, chewey texture. You can find bubble tea everywhere in Chinatown, but the one I went to the most was called Bao Bao Bakery & Cafe. I love this place because the sweets that is has are so good and the bubble tea is well made as well.

Recently when I went to Chinatown, I decided to go to Bao Bao Bakery after not going there in more than five years. I had this sweet bean bun there last Sunday! I can't wait to go back so that I can try the other baked goods and sweets. I found Bao Bao at a new location, across the street where it used to be. Apparently, they moved and remodeled it, and they are a sister store with Double Chin, which is a cute restaurant serving food, desserts, and baked goods in a very unique way! Their desserts are original creations which I definitely will try the next time I go into town.

The bubble tea that I ordered at Bao Bao also has the logo of the Double Chin on it, so I am not exactly sure which store makes it or if they share it. In any case, it was really good and I ordered what I usually like to have: lychee tea with the bubbles. I like lychee because it is refreshing and sweet, and it is unlike any other drink which I can have at any other place. For example, my friend ordered a mango smoothie without the bubbles, which was very tasty, but I can probably find a mango smoothie almost anywhere I go.

This picture above shows the colorful and cheery exterior of Shabu Shabu, which is a hot pot restaurant. I love the painting on the side so I decided to include it in my bubble tea photo.

Pirated movies

There was a store I used to like going to; it was a place that sold pirated movies and music and I bought two Ghibli movies and Sherlock Holmes there for a few dollars (don't frown on me too much, I have bought plenty of other legally-sold movies at full price). One of the movies I bought, Spirited Away, only works for half of the movie so I was extemely disappointed to the point of tears. I'll have to buy it from a real movie store (it's totally worth it).

This store doesn’t exist anymore (probably for a good reason), but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe it moved to a different location, or there are other ones that exist but I don't know about them. Two out of three of the movies I bought there worked well.

Chinatown has it’s negatives too, sometimes it is not a very clean area because of all the trash that is left outside by the restaurants there, but other than that, it is a safe area to hang out in.

Boston Harbor

On the other side of South Station you’ll find the Boston Harbor and Wharfs. This is a great area to go to in warm weather as the breeze is refreshing and the smell of the air is of delicious seawater. Although there are no beaches in downtown Boston, you can drive 30-45 minutes to get to the closest beaches. In any case, the harbor is the place to go for some Boston harbor cruises and boat tours.

I have taken the ferry to see some of Boston’s islands, including Georges Island and Spectacle Island. The former is home to Fort Warren, and old fortress used in the Civil War. The latter does have a lifeguarded swimming beach (although it’s not a particularly beautiful beach) and a hiking trail.

I like coming to the islands with friends, roam around, sit in the grass, and have a picnic there.

This picture is from a few years ago when I went to George's Island with two good friends of mine. As you can see, the sky is a perfect blue, the grass is green, the picnic tables are free of people, and this little gazebo is a cute place to sit in the shade, talk, think, and take pictures from. The weather that day was a balmy spring day; a little chilly in the shade and the wind from boat ride, but warm under the steady sun rays.

While taking a short trip to either of these islands is excellent alternative to the typical city touring, they add to Boston’s unique charm and hidden secrets.

These two are blocking the view of Boston's skyline with their Titanic reenactment shenanigans, but you get the idea of how fun the boat rides can be!

New England Aquarium

If you make your way up the harborside, you will pass by the New England Aquarium. This enormous aquarium not only hosts more than 20 000 aquatic animals, but it also partners with the Boston Harbor Cruises to operate the seasonal whale watch cruise between the months of April to November.

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I had been to the aquarium when I was very young in elementary school, but I have never been on one of the whale watches. I would really like to do it, and although there are no guarantees that whales will be spotted on the cruise, the chances are usually high. The only time I have seen whales is when I was in Monterey, California, at a hotel overlooking a cliff and I could see the majestic whales puffing their water snouts not too far off the coast, and it was quite an amazing moment.

Once you pass by the aquarium and keep going north up the harbor, you will reach Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market and the North End.

North End

If you love Italian food, this is the place to go! The North End is also known as Boston’s Little Italy. Sure, you can get pizza anywhere, but if you go to the right place in the North End, you will find truly authentic Italian pizza and pasta. And don’t get me started on the gelatos and pastries!

In fact, one of the most popular pastry and gelato shops here is called Mike’s Pastry. From cannolis to pies and cakes, you can’t go wrong here. There are three different locations of this store: Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, but the one in Boston is where the Little Italy is.

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I love the North End especially because of its old, cobblestone-laid winding streets, red brick buildings, wrought iron window grills, and the colonial and immigration history that breathes in these old Italian neighborhoods.

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Since I mentioned colonial history, I should add the important fact that the North End is home to Paul Revere's more than 300 year-old house.

If you don't know who Paul Revere was, then you should learn about Boston's history! Basically, he was one of the revolutionary colonists who helped lead the community and warn them of the British soldiers' movements. Mr. Revere was known for his famous midnight horse ride to spread the warnings.

This old wooden colonial home seen above looks random, and is almost a sore thumb amongst the newer, red brick buildings which are characteristic of Boston's architecture. However, the fact that Paul Revere's home was able to be preserved all these years is truly amazing, especially because he was an integral part of our history. You can have a tour of it and go inside!

I hope you enjoyed my quick three-article tour of Boston! There are of course many more places to visit around the city, but that is up to you to discover them!

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